A new car lease can feel like one of the simplest ways to run a car.
You choose the car, agree the monthly payment, drive something brand new, and avoid many of the usual worries that come with owning an older vehicle. No MOT for the first three years, manufacturer warranty included, and a fixed monthly cost that makes budgeting easier.
But there is one question many drivers do not ask until it is too late:
What happens if the car needs a part that simply is not available?
It might be a door after a car park accident. A bumper after a small bump. A headlight, sensor, windscreen, battery component or body panel. The car may be technically repairable, but if the part is not in the country, or the approved repair network is struggling to get hold of it, the vehicle can sit off the road for weeks or even months.
And if that car is leased, the monthly payment does not automatically stop just because the car is not usable.
The hidden risk behind a cheap monthly payment
There is nothing wrong with leasing. For many drivers it can be a sensible way to run a new car, especially if they want predictable costs and do not want to worry about selling the car later.
There is also nothing wrong with newer car brands entering the UK market. In fact, many of them are bringing strong value, long warranties, generous equipment levels and fresh competition to the market.
But the real test of a car brand is not just the price, the touchscreen, the warranty length or the monthly lease figure.
The real test is what happens when something goes wrong.
If your car is damaged in an accident or suffers a fault, several things suddenly matter:
- Can the parts be sourced quickly?
- Does the insurer understand the car?
- Are there enough approved repairers?
- Does the repairer have the right training and diagnostic access?
- Is a suitable courtesy car available?
- Who is responsible while everyone argues about the delay?
That is when a low monthly payment can start to feel less like a bargain and more like a trap.
Why this issue is getting attention now
This topic has become more visible because newer Chinese brands are becoming a much bigger presence on UK roads.
The Jaecoo 7 is a good example. It has become a very popular new SUV in the UK, helped by strong pricing, generous equipment and attractive lease offers. SMMT data showed the Jaecoo 7 sitting third in the UK year-to-date sales chart by April 2026, behind only the Ford Puma and Kia Sportage.
That is a remarkable achievement for a relatively new UK brand. But fast growth can create pressure elsewhere. A brand can sell cars quickly before the wider ecosystem around those cars has fully matured.
Recent research reported by the Guardian found that some UK insurers were more hesitant to cover certain Chinese electric and hybrid models, including cars from Jaecoo, BYD, XPeng and Skywell. In Carwow’s sample, half of the insurance quote requests for four selected models were declined. The concerns raised included limited repair data, developing parts supply chains and a lack of long-term claims history.
That does not mean these cars are bad. It does not mean they should be avoided. But it does show that insurers are looking beyond the badge and the brochure. They are asking: how easy will this car be to repair if it is damaged?
And that is exactly the question drivers should be asking too.
This is not only a Chinese car problem
It would be unfair to suggest that parts delays only affect newer Chinese brands.
They do not.
The wider UK repair industry has been under pressure for some time. The FCA’s 2025 review of motor insurance claims found that average lead times before repair work starts had more than doubled, while repair times had increased by 36%. The FCA said this was largely due to mechanic shortages, vehicle parts availability issues and delays.
The ABI has also highlighted shortages of suitably trained repair technicians, particularly as more cars use electric drivetrains and advanced driver assistance systems. Modern vehicles often need specialist skills, calibration and equipment after repairs.
So the issue is bigger than one country, one brand or one type of car. It is about the growing complexity of modern vehicles and the ability of the repair industry to keep up.
Even established brands can be affected. In one Guardian consumer case, a Volkswagen T-Roc repair took months after an accident, with the customer experiencing serious difficulty because the car was needed to carry specialist mobility equipment.
The problem is not that every car will be stuck waiting for parts. Most will not. The problem is that when it does happen, the consequences can be very painful.
When the car is off the road, the costs keep moving
For many drivers, the biggest shock is not just the delay. It is the feeling that nobody is fully responsible for solving the whole problem.
The insurer may say it is waiting for the repairer.
The repairer may say it is waiting for the manufacturer.
The manufacturer may say the part is on back order.
The lease company may still expect the monthly payment.
The courtesy car may only be provided for a limited period.
The Financial Ombudsman has published cases showing how disruptive long vehicle repair delays can be. In one case, a customer’s insurer took nearly six months to repair her car after the wrong parts were ordered. She only had a courtesy car for the first 14 days, then had to pay for taxis because she lived in a rural area and needed to get her children to school.
The Motor Ombudsman has also published a delayed parts supply case where a consumer had a courtesy car for two months while waiting for parts to fix a defective car, but complained about poor ownership of the problem and the stress caused by the delay.
These are not everyday outcomes, but they are real examples of what can happen when a repair drags on.
And if the car is on finance or lease, the situation can become even more frustrating. In one Financial Ombudsman car finance decision, a car was off the road and undriveable shortly after supply. The Ombudsman said the customer should not have to keep paying for the period when she had no use of the car and no courtesy car, and directed the finance provider to refund payments apart from the short period when the car was working.
That does not mean every lease or finance customer will automatically get payments refunded if their car is off the road. Every case depends on the agreement, the fault, who is responsible, whether the car was of satisfactory quality, and how the business handled the complaint.
But it does show why drivers should not assume the monthly payment problem will magically disappear.
Is the risk being overblown?
Possibly, in some cases.
Most people who lease a new car will not end up waiting six months for a door, bumper or sensor. Most cars will be repaired normally. Many newer brands will improve their parts supply, repair processes and insurance relationships as they become more established.
There is also a familiar pattern here. When Japanese and Korean brands first grew in the UK, they also had to build trust, parts supply, dealer networks and insurer confidence. Over time, many became mainstream, trusted and easy to own. Omoda and Jaecoo UK have made a similar point, saying that insurance availability and pricing should improve as Chinese manufacturers become more established on British roads.
So this is not a reason to panic.
But it is a reason to ask better questions.
A car can be excellent value and still carry a higher repair-delay risk than a more established alternative. That risk may reduce over time as manufacturers invest in UK parts warehouses, technical training, approved bodyshop networks and insurer relationships.
In other words, this may be a temporary growing pain rather than a permanent problem.
But if you are signing a three or four-year lease today, you are living with today’s repair network, not the one that might exist in three years’ time.
Warranty does not solve everything
A long warranty is reassuring, but it does not cover every situation.
A warranty may help if a covered mechanical or electrical part fails. But it will not necessarily solve:
- accident damage
- insurance repair delays
- body panel shortages
- courtesy car limits
- delays caused by repairer capacity
- disputes between insurer, repairer, manufacturer and lease company
- the inconvenience of being without the car
This is especially important with newer cars packed with sensors, cameras, radar units and advanced safety systems. A small impact may involve more than just replacing a bumper. It may require calibration, approved parts and specialist repair procedures.
So when comparing lease deals, the question is not simply:
“How long is the warranty?”
It is also:
“How easy is this car to repair?”
What should you check before leasing?
Before signing a lease, especially on a newer or less established brand, it is worth asking a few boring but important questions.
1. How strong is the UK dealer and repair network?
A brand with rapid sales growth needs a repair network that can keep up. Check how close your nearest dealer is, but also ask about approved bodyshops and accident repairs.
A dealer selling the car is useful. A repair network that can quickly fix it is even more useful.
2. Are common accident parts stocked in the UK?
Doors, bumpers, wings, headlights, windscreens and sensors are the kind of parts that can be needed after relatively ordinary accidents. If they have to be shipped from overseas, delays can become much longer.
You may not get a perfect answer, but the question itself is worth asking.
3. What courtesy car cover do you actually have?
Do not assume you will get a like-for-like car for as long as needed.
Some policies only provide a courtesy car while repairs are actively taking place. Some only offer a small car. Some have time limits. Some replacement car arrangements depend on who was at fault and whether the repairer is approved.
This matters even more if you need a car for work, childcare, mobility needs or rural living.
4. Will your insurer cover the car at a sensible price?
Insurance is not just an afterthought. It is a signal.
If several insurers are reluctant to quote, or the premium is much higher than expected, it may suggest uncertainty around repair costs, parts, claims data or vehicle risk.
That does not automatically mean “do not buy it”. But it should make you pause and understand why.
5. What happens if the car is undriveable for weeks?
Ask the lease provider what happens if the vehicle is off the road for an extended period due to a warranty issue or repair delay.
Also ask what happens after an accident. This may involve your insurer rather than the lease company, but you need to understand the chain of responsibility before you are stuck in the middle of it.
6. Is the bargain still a bargain if something goes wrong?
A lease that saves £50 a month looks attractive. Over three years, that is £1,800.
But if the car is off the road, your courtesy car runs out, your insurance is expensive, or repairs take months, the saving can disappear very quickly.
The cheapest monthly payment is not always the lowest-risk deal.
The fair view: new brands can catch up
It is important to be fair here.
New manufacturers are not standing still. If a brand is serious about the UK market, it will usually invest in parts supply, technical support, dealer training, repair processes and insurer relationships.
As more cars are sold, insurers gather more claims data. Repairers get more familiar with the vehicles. Parts demand becomes easier to predict. Manufacturers learn which components need to be stocked locally.
That means today’s uncertainty may reduce over time.
Some of the best-known car brands in Britain were once outsiders. New entrants can become trusted mainstream brands if they support customers properly after the sale.
So the message is not:
“Avoid new brands.”
The message is:
“Do not judge a car only by the monthly payment.”
A good car is not just one that looks good on the driveway. It is one that can be insured, maintained, repaired and supported throughout the time you have it.
The KnowYourCar view
At KnowYourCar, we think car confidence is about more than knowing whether a car is taxed and MOT’d.
It is about understanding the practical realities of owning or leasing a vehicle.
That includes:
- what it might cost to insure
- whether parts are likely to be easy to source
- what common faults are worth knowing about
- how strong the support network is
- whether the car still makes sense when something goes wrong
Because the best time to find out about a repair problem is before you sign the agreement, not when your car is already sitting at a bodyshop waiting for a part.
Cheap lease deals can be brilliant.
But only if the car is not just cheap to get into — it is also easy to live with, easy to insure and easy to repair.
So before you lease that tempting new SUV with the low monthly payment, ask one simple question:
If something goes wrong, how quickly can this car be put back on the road?
That might be the most important question of all.
Sources and further reading
- The Guardian — “UK drivers struggle to get insurance for Chinese EVs such as Jaecoo”
- SMMT — UK New Car Registration Data
- OMODA & JAECOO UK — April 2026 registrations announcement
- Financial Conduct Authority — Motor Insurance Claims Analysis: Multi-firm Review 2025
- FCA — Motor Insurance Claims Analysis overview page
- ABI — “Motor claims inflation: Causes, consequences and what comes next”
- Financial Ombudsman Service — “Insurer fails to arrange courtesy car during a long delay”
- Financial Ombudsman Service — Decision Reference DRN-5311650
- The Motor Ombudsman — “Delayed parts supply” case study
- The Motor Ombudsman — “Parts delay claim” case study
- The Motor Ombudsman — “What can I do if there are delays to parts being made available for repairs?”
- The Guardian — “Insurer Saga has taken four months to repair my parents’ car”
- The Guardian — “Alfa Romeo has failed to fix my brand new car for nine months”
